Suitcase with integrated shelving system

ABSTRACT

A travel bag is disclosed that includes an integrated shelving system for storing various clothing items during travel. The integrated shelving system includes a plurality of shelves each adaptable to store a number of clothing items (such as shirts, socks, underwear, pants, and skirts). The integrated shelving system may be opened to an extended state to allow a person to insert and/or remove clothing items from the plurality of shelves, and may be closed to a collapsed state to store the clothing items during travel.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to travel bags, and specifically to travel bags such as suitcases that include an integrated shelving system.

BACKGROUND

Travel bags such as suitcases are frequency used to store personal items (such as clothes, wallets, and passports), electronics (such as laptops), and other items for transport. Most suitcases suitable for travel have a rigid structure to maintain their shape and to protect the contents of the suitcase. Many suitcases include inner compartments for storing a person's clothing items (such as shirts, socks, underwear, pants, and skirts) during travel. Upon arrival at a destination, the person typically removes the clothing items from the suitcase and then places the clothing items into an available closet and/or dresser (such as in a hotel room). The process of unloading clothing items from a suitcase upon arrival at the destination is time consuming, and may result in one or more clothing items being left behind.

Thus, there is a need for a suitcase that includes an integrated shelving system that eliminates the need for a person to unpack certain items from the suitcase upon arrival at a destination.

SUMMARY

The systems, methods and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a suitcase or other suitable travel bag. In some implementations, the suitcase may include a rigid body and an integrated shelving system. The rigid body may include a lid attached to a body portion. The integrated shelving system may be removably attached to an inner portion of the body portion and configured to store a number of items. In some aspects, the integrated shelving system may be compressed to a compact size adapted to fit entirely within the body portion when the integrated shelving system is in a folded state, and may be expanded to an extended size adapted to allow a person to access the items stored therein when the integrated shelving system is in an extended state. In addition, or in the alternative, when the integrated shelving system is in the folded state, the items and the plurality of shelves may be compressed together, and when the integrated shelving system is in the extended state, the compartments may be of a maximum size and the items may be displayed as rows of a shelf. The integrated shelving system may include a plurality of shelves configured to form a number of compartments within which to store the items.

In some implementations, the lid may be configured to seal contents within the suitcase when in a closed state. In addition, or in the alternative, when the lid is in an opened state, the lid may be configured to prevent the suitcase from tipping over when the integrated shelving system is in the extended state. In some aspects, the lid and the body portion may form an angle of approximately 90 degrees when the lid is in the opened state, for example, to prevent the suitcase from tipping over when the suitcase is open.

The suitcase may also include a retractable handle system including a pair of arms and a handle. In some implementations, the handle may be adapted for carrying the suitcase when the handle system is in a retracted state, and the handle may be adapted to maintain the integrated shelving system in the extended state when the handle system is in an extended state. In some aspects, the arms may not be visible when the handle system is in the retracted state, and the handle system may be extended beyond the body portion and the handle may be adapted to be removably attached to a top portion of the integrated shelving system when the handle system is in the extended state. In addition, or in the alternative, the suitcase may include a pocket attached to the cover and configured to secure a top portion of the integrated shelving system to the handle when the integrated shelving system is in the extended state. In some aspects, the top portion of the integrated shelving system may be secured to the handle to maintain the integrated shelving system in the extended state.

The suitcase may also include a strap. In some implementations, the strap may include a first end attached to a portion of the integrated shelving system, and may include a second end adapted to secure the integrated shelving system to the handle when the integrated shelving system is in the extended state and the handle system is in the extended state. In some implementations, the suitcase may include a retractable handle system including a pair of arms and a handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized by reference to the following drawings. In the appended figures, similar components or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

FIG. 1A is a front plan view of an example suitcase including an integrated shelving system in accordance with some implementations.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the suitcase of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the suitcase of FIGS. 1A-1B with the integrated shelving system in an extended state.

FIG. 2B is another perspective view of the suitcase of FIGS. 1A-1B with the integrated shelving system in the extended state.

FIG. 3A is block diagram of the integrated shelving system of FIGS. 2A-2B in a folded state.

FIG. 3B is block diagram of the integrated shelving system of FIGS. 2A-2B in the extended state.

FIG. 4A is perspective view of the integrated shelving system of FIGS. 2A-2B in the folded state.

FIG. 4B is perspective view of the integrated shelving system of FIGS. 2A-2B in the extended state.

FIG. 4C is another perspective view of the integrated shelving system of FIGS. 2A-2B in the extended state.

FIG. 5 is perspective view of a portion of the integrated shelving system FIGS. 2A-2B depicting a cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure disclose a travel bag such as a suitcase that includes an integrated shelving system for storing various clothing items during travel. The integrated shelving system includes a plurality of shelves each adaptable to store a number of clothing items (such as shirts, socks, underwear, pants, and skirts). The integrated shelving system may be opened to an extended state to allow a person to insert and/or remove clothing items from the plurality of shelves, and may be closed to a collapsed state to store the clothing items during travel. The integrated shelving system may be removably attached to an inner portion of the suitcase. When attached to the suitcase, the integrated shelving system may be opened to an extended state such that each of the plurality of shelves (and any clothing items stored therein) is accessible by a person.

In some aspects, the integrated shelving system may include a coupling mechanism configured to mate with a top portion of a retractable handle of the suitcase, for example, so that the suitcase handle may be used to maintain the integrated shelving system in a vertically-oriented extended state without the need to hang or attach the integrated shelving system to anything other than the suitcase handle. In this manner, a person may open the suitcase, expand the integrated shelving system to its fully extended state, and easily access clothing items stored in the plurality of shelves without having to find another object from which to hang the integrated shelving system.

For example, when a person desires to access clothing items stored in the integrated shelving system, the person may simply open the suitcase, pull the suitcase handle away from the body of the suitcase until it reaches its fully extended state, pull a top portion of the integrated shelving system in an upwards direction until the integrated shelving system is in its fully extended state, and then attach the coupling mechanism to the extended suitcase handle. The lid of the suitcase, when opened at an angle of approximately 90 degrees relative to the body of the suitcase body, may act as a “kick-stand” to prevent the suitcase from tipping over when the integrated shelving system is in its fully extended state. In this manner, aspects of the present disclosure may provide a free-standing, fully accessible integrated shelving system from which a person may insert and/or remove clothing items without the need to remove the integrated shelving system from the suitcase or without the need to locate an external object to maintain the integrated shelving system in its fully extended state.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components and systems to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. The term “coupled” as used herein means connected directly to or connected through one or more intervening components or circuits. Also, in the following description and for purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details may not be required to practice the example implementations. The present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to specific examples described herein but rather to include within their scopes all implementations defined by the appended claims.

Various aspects of the disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings herein one skilled in the art should appreciate that the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein, whether implemented independently of or combined with any other aspect of the disclosure. For example, a travel bag or suitcase may be implemented or a method may be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover such a travel bag or suitcase which is practiced using other structure, functionality, or structure and functionality in addition to or other than the various aspects of the disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of a claim. Changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements discussed without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Various examples may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components as appropriate. Also, features described with respect to some examples may be combined in other examples.

FIGS. 1A-1B show front plan and perspective views, respectively, of an example suitcase 100 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The suitcase 100 may be used to store and/or transport personal items (such as clothing items), electronics (such as laptops), and other items. The suitcase 100 may include a rigid body 110 that includes a lid 110A and a body portion 110B. The lid 110A may be attached to the body portion 110B using any suitable mechanism (such as hinges, not shown for simplicity) that allows the lid 110A to be opened and closed with respect to the body portion 110B. Two sets of wheels 115A are attached to either side of the lid 110A, and two sets of wheels 115B are attached to either side of the body portion 110B, for example, so that the suitcase 100 may be rolled across surfaces using the wheels 115.

The suitcase 100 includes a retractable handle system 120 that may be used to carry and/or maneuver the suitcase 100. In some implementations, the body portion 110B may include a pair of sleeves (not shown for simplicity) configured to received opposite arms 121 of the retractable handle system 120, and may include a suitable coiling mechanism that allows the retractable handle system 120 to be positioned in either a retracted state or an extended state. In some aspects, the coiling mechanism (not shown for simplicity) may include a reel configured to retract the retractable handle system 120 into the sleeve based on a first user action, and to allow the retractable handle system 120 to be extended into one or more extended positions based on a second user action.

For example, the retractable handle system 120 may be obscured from view when in the retracted state, and may extend from the body 110 of the suitcase 100 when in the extended state (such as depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B). When in the retracted state, a handle 122 provided in the retractable handle system 120 may be used to carry the suitcase 100. When in the extended state, the retractable handle system 120 may be used to pull the suitcase 100 and, as described in more detail below, may also be used as a stand that maintains the integrated shelving system 130 in an extended state, for example, to provide a person with easy access to clothing items stored within various compartments of the integrated shelving system 130.

FIGS. 2A-2B depict perspective views of the suitcase of FIGS. 1A-1B with the integrated shelving system 130 in an extended state. The integrated shelving system 130 may include a plurality of shelves 132 that form a corresponding plurality of compartments within which various clothing items may be placed. Although the example of FIGS. 2A-2B depicts the integrated shelving system 130 as including six shelves 132, in other implementations, the integrated shelving system 130 may include other suitable numbers of shelves 132. Further, the specific configurations and orientations of the shelves 132 depicted in the example of FIGS. 2A-2B is merely illustrative; it is to be understood that the shelves 132 may have other suitable configurations and orientations which fall within the scope of this disclosure.

The plurality of shelves 132 may each include a respective bottom surface 133, and may be supported by two side panels 130S and a rear panel 130R of the integrated shelving system 130. The two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R may be formed using any suitable flexible material that allows the integrated shelving system 130 to be compressed (such as folded) into a folded state, for example, so that the integrated shelving system 130 can fit entirely within the suitcase 100 when the lid 110A is closed (as depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B).

The plurality of shelves 132 may be attached to the two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R using any suitable technique including, for example, stitching each of the plurality of shelves 132 and their respective bottom surfaces 133 to a corresponding horizontal section of each of the two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R. When the integrated shelving system 130 is in the extended state, the two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R are secured together to form an interior space that may be divided into separate compartments by the plurality of shelves 132, for example, so that each of the compartments may receive and store clothing items.

Each of the shelves 132, the two side panels 130S, and the rear panel 130R may be formed using any suitable material. The two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R may be formed using a lightweight and relatively flexible material that allows the integrated shelving system 130 to easily transition between the folded state and the extended state. In some aspects, the material used to form the two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R may allow airflow through the integrated shelving system 130 when in the extended state. Some example lightweight and relatively flexible materials may include, for example, a mesh material, canvas, nylon, leather, or other suitable material. In some aspects, the two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R may also include an elastic component, for example, so that the two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R snugly fit around any clothing items placed in the compartments formed by the plurality of shelves 132.

The bottom surface 133 of each shelf 132 may be formed using a relatively rigid material (such as compared with the two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R), for example, to support any clothing items placed within the compartments formed by the shelves 132. Some example relatively rigid materials may include, for example, reinforced canvas, reinforced nylon, plastic, fiberglass, or the like.

In some aspects, the stitching that attaches each of the plurality of shelves 132 and their respective bottom surfaces 133 to the two side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R may be reinforced with strip of binder material (not shown for simplicity). In addition, strips of binder material may be used to reinforce stitching that attaches each of the two side panels 130S to the rear panel 130R. The binder material may be any suitable durable yet flexible material such as, for example, nylon.

The integrated shelving system 130 may also include a foldable stiffening member 134 (such as fiberglass, plastic, or any other type of substantially rigid material) provided within the rear panel 130R of the integrated shelving system 130. The foldable stiffening member 134, which may be vertically oriented with respect to the plurality of shelves 132, may maintain the integrated shelving system 130 in the extended state, for example, by preventing the integrated shelving system 130 from sagging or inadvertently folding upon itself. The foldable stiffening member 134 may also help the integrated shelving system 130 maintain its shape in when in the folded state. The folded and extended states of the integrated shelving system 130 are described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 3A-3B and FIGS. 4A-4C.

FIG. 3A is block diagram of the integrated shelving system 130 of FIGS. 2A-2B in a folded state, and FIG. 4A is perspective view of the integrated shelving system 130 of FIGS. 2A-2B in the folded state. When in the folded state, the integrated shelving system 130 may collapse upon itself such that each of the plurality of shelves 132 is compressed to minimize area consumed by the integrated shelving system 130. Each of the side panels 130S and the rear panel 130R may be “pinched” inwardly at points between the plurality of shelves 132 so that the entire integrated shelving system 130 is compressed into the folded state. In some aspects, a person may compress the integrated shelving system 130 by exerting a downward force (such as by pressing) on the top surface 130T of the integrated shelving system 130 until the folded state is reached. A strap 140 may be wrapped around the collapsed integrated shelving system 130 to compress the integrated shelving system 130 (and its contents) into a compact space. In some aspects, a second strap 150 attached to the bottom surface 130B of the integrated shelving system 130 may be used to secure the strap 140 when used to compress the integrated shelving system 130.

An example operation of expanding the integrated shelving system 130 until it reaches the extended state is described with respect to FIGS. 3B, 4B, and 4C, where FIG. 3B is block diagram of the integrated shelving system 130 of FIGS. 2A-2B in the extended state, FIG. 4B is perspective view of the integrated shelving system 130 of FIGS. 2A-2B in the extended state, and FIG. 4C is another perspective view of the integrated shelving system 130 of FIGS. 2A-2B in the extended state.

First, the person may position the suitcase 100 on its wheels 115A-115B so that the suitcase 100 is oriented in an upright position. Next, the person may open the lid 110A of the suitcase 100 to form a suitable angle (such as a 90 degree angle) with respect to the body portion 110B of the suitcase 100. In this manner, the lid 110A of the suitcase 100 may operate as a kickstand to ensure that the suitcase 100 does not tip over. Once the lid 110A is positioned in a manner to prevent the suitcase 100 from tipping over, the person may use the handle 122 to pull the retractable handle system 120 in an upward (e.g., vertical) direction until the retractable handle system 120 is expanded to its fully extended state. Next, the person may use the strap 140 to pull the integrated shelving system 130 out of the suitcase 100 in an upward (e.g., vertical) direction until the integrated shelving system 130 is expanded to its fully extended state.

Then, the person may secure the integrated shelving system 130 to the handle 122 of the fully extended retractable handle system 120. In some implementations, the person may use the strap 140 to secure the integrated shelving system 130 to the handle 122. For example, referring also to FIGS. 2A-2B, the person may pull the strap 140 over the handle 122 of the fully extended handle system 120 and attach an end of the strap 140 to a portion of the rear panel 130R of the integrated shelving system 130. In some aspects, a first end of the strap 140 may be permanently attached to the top surface 130T of the integrated shelving system 130 (such as via stitching), and a second end of the strap 140 may be removably attached to the rear panel 130R using Velcro or other suitable removably attaching mechanism or means. In other implementations, the person may use a cover provided within the integrated shelving system 130 to hang the integrated shelving system 130 from the handle 122, for example, as described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 5.

As described above, the integrated shelving system 130 may hang from the handle 122 of the extended retractable handle system 120, and the lid 110A of the suitcase 100 may operate as a kickstand to prevent the suitcase 100 from tipping over. In this manner, aspects of the present disclosure may allow a person to open the suitcase 100, expand the integrated shelving system 130 to its fully extended state, and access the clothing items stored therein anywhere without the need to locate other objects to maintain the integrated shelving system 130 in its fully extended state or to prop up the suitcase 100.

The person may collapse the integrated shelving system 130 into its folded state by detaching from the strap 140 from the rear panel 1308, and then pressing downward on the top surface 130T until the integrated shelving system 130 folds upon itself and collapses into its folded state. The person's clothes may remain stored within the various compartments provided by the plurality of shelves 132 while the integrated shelving system 130 is in the folded state. In some aspects, the person may use the strap 140 as a compression strap to cinch the integrated shelving system 130 (and the clothing items stored therein) into the folded state, for example, as depicted in FIG. 4A. This may be particularly advantageous for people who tend to overpack.

The person may then close the lid 110A, and push the handle retractable handle system 120 downward until the retractable handle system 120 is in its retracted state. Thereafter, the person may transport the suitcase 100 (and all of the clothing items stored therein) in a conventional manner.

FIG. 5 is rear perspective view of a top portion of the integrated shelving system FIGS. 2A-2B. As shown in FIG. 5, the integrated shelving system 130 may include an integrated cover 135 that may be disposed over the top surface 130T of the integrated shelving system 130. The cover 135 may provide a roof over the integrated shelving system 130, for example, to protect clothing items stored therein from dirt and other debris. The cover 135 may also be used to removably attach the fully expanded integrated shelving system 130 to the handle 122 when the retractable handle system 120 is in its extended state. More specifically, a person may use a pocket 136 integrated within the cover 135 to secure the integrated shelving system 130 to the handle 122, for example, by inserting the handle 122 into the pocket 136. In this manner, the person may use the pocket 136, rather than the strap 140, to maintain the integrated shelving system 130 in its fully extended state.

As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c.

Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles and the novel features disclosed herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A suitcase comprising: a rigid body including a lid attached to a body portion; and an integrated shelving system removably attached to an inner portion of the body portion and configured to store a number of items, wherein: in a folded state, the integrated shelving system is compressed to a compact size adapted to fit entirely within the body portion; and in an extended state, the integrated shelving system is expanded to an extended size adapted to allow a person to access the items stored therein.
 2. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein the integrated shelving system includes a plurality of shelves configured to form a number of compartments within which to store the items.
 3. The suitcase of claim 2, wherein: when the integrated shelving system is in the folded state, the items and the plurality of shelves are compressed together; and when the integrated shelving system is in the extended state, the compartments are of a maximum size and the items are displayed as rows of a shelf.
 4. The suitcase of claim 1, further comprising a retractable handle system including a pair of arms and a handle, wherein: when the handle system is in a retracted state, the handle is adapted for carrying the suitcase; and when the handle system is in an extended state, the handle is adapted to maintain the integrated shelving system in the extended state.
 5. The suitcase of claim 4, wherein: when the handle system is in the retracted state, the arms are not visible; and when the handle system is in the extended state, the handle system is extended beyond the body portion and the handle is adapted to be removably attached to a top portion of the integrated shelving system.
 6. The suitcase of claim 4, further comprising: a strap including a first end attached to a portion of the integrated shelving system, and including a second end adapted to secure the integrated shelving system to the handle when the integrated shelving system is in the extended state and the handle system is in the extended state.
 7. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein the integrated shelving system includes a cover configured to act as a roof over the items stored therein.
 8. The suitcase of claim 7, further comprising: a retractable handle system including a pair of arms and a handle; and a pocket attached to the cover and configured to secure a top portion of the integrated shelving system to the handle when the integrated shelving system is in the extended state.
 9. The suitcase of claim 8, wherein securing the top portion of the integrated shelving system to the handle is to maintain the integrated shelving system in the extended state.
 10. The suitcase of claim 1, wherein: in a closed state, the lid is configured to seal contents within the suitcase; and in an opened state, the lid is configured to prevent the suitcase from tipping over when the integrated shelving system is in the extended state.
 11. The suitcase of claim 10, wherein the lid and the body portion form an angle of approximately 90 degrees when the lid is in the opened state. 